Ten years after the death of respected Enugu traditional ruler and educationist Vincent Onyekelu Ilo, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday said the late royal father’s life exemplified the kind of service-driven leadership capable of inspiring lasting social transformation beyond acts of charity.
Mr Osinbajo spoke at the 10th memorial lecture organised in honour of the late traditional ruler at the International Conference Centre in Enugu.
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Using the life of Igwe Ilo as a reference point, the former vice president urged Nigerians to embrace philanthropy that builds institutions, expands opportunities and tackles the structural causes of poverty.
“There’s something deeply meaningful about memorialising those whose lives were not in pursuit of applause but in faithful service to others,” Mr Osinbajo said.
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“His Royal Majesty Igwe Vincent embodied that enduring virtue. He was a teacher, a teacher of teachers, a headmaster, a mentor and a community builder.”
The lecture, themed “Charity as a Catalyst for Social Change: Moving from Philanthropy to Sustainable Social Impact,” drew political leaders, academics, clerics and members of the royal family.
Among those present was the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia, a professor of education.
Igwe Ilo, popularly known as Ohabuenyi I of Adu-Achi, died in 2016 at the age of 83 after decades of service as a teacher, headmaster and supervisor of schools before ascending the throne in 2006.
Mr Osinbajo praised the Ilo family for transforming the annual remembrance into what he described as a platform for national reflection on development, justice and compassion.
According to him, the late traditional ruler’s enduring influence showed that true greatness was measured not by wealth or public acclaim, but by impact on people and communities.
‘The world needs more transformation’
In his keynote address, Mr Osinbajo distinguished between charity and philanthropy, describing charity as immediate relief for suffering and philanthropy as a long-term investment in systems that eliminate deprivation.
“Philanthropy asks the question: why does this problem exist, and how can we reduce or eliminate it permanently?” he said.
The former vice president said societies must move beyond temporary acts of giving toward sustainable interventions in education, healthcare, affordable housing and economic inclusion.
“The future of social impact lies in empowering people to overcome hardship permanently,” he said.
“We must move from asking, ‘How much did we give?’ to ‘What systems did we change?’”
Mr Osinbajo added that enduring philanthropy often begins with vision and commitment to public good rather than wealth alone.
Family, community honoured
The memorial lecture was organised by the Adu-Achi community in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State and members of the Ilo family, including one of his children, Udo Jude Ilo, a Nigerian human rights advocate, governance expert, and the CEO of The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law.
Other members of the Ilo family are his first son Vinmartin Obiora Ilo, journalist and president of Signature Television; Maureen Onyinye Udeh, journalist, women’s rights activist and CEO of Adaojiriver Optimal Communications; Stan Chu Ilo, a Catholic priest; and Cajetan Ikechukwu Ilo, a professor.
In a goodwill message, the Chairman of Oji River Local Government Area, Greg Anyaegbudike, praised the children of the late monarch for preserving their father’s legacy through the annual lecture.
“They are worthy successors who continue to uphold the values Late Igwe Vincent Onyekelu Ilo stood for,” he said.
“In them, Ohabuenyi I lives.”
